TY  - JOUR
AU  - Falcon, Viviana 
AU  - Menéndez, Ivon 
AU  - Acosta-Rivero, Nelson 
AU  - Shibayama, Mineko 
AU  - de la Rosa, Maria-C 
AU  - Luna- Munoz, Jose 
AU  - Miranda-Sanchez, Magdalena 
AU  - Gavilondo, Jorge V. 
AU  - Lopez, Deliana 
AU  - Duenas-Carrera, Santiago 
AU  - Gra, Bienvenido 
AU  - Chinea, Glay 
AU  - Garcia, Luisa Tamayo 
AU  - Garcia, Waldo 
AU  - Vidal, Eduardo 
AU  - Arus-Soler, Enrique 
AU  - Silva, Jose 
AU  - Alvarez, Felix 
AU  - Acosta, Emilio F. 
AU  - Seoane, Jesus 
AU  - Morales-Grillo, Juan 
AU  - Penton, Eduardo 
AU  - Kouri, Juan 
AU  - Tsutsumi, Victor 
PY  - 2008
TI  - Ultrastructural Evidences of Hepatitis B Infection in Human Liver Biopsies Disclose Complex Assembly and Morphogenesis Pathways for Hepatitis B Virus
JF  - American Journal of Infectious Diseases
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
DO  - 10.3844/ajidsp.2008.96.103
UR  - https://thescipub.com/abstract/ajidsp.2008.96.103
AB  - Despite of recent advances on acknowledge of hepatitis B virus (HBV) structure and biology, little is known about the morphogenesis and release of virions. In this study, the ultrastructural analysis of HBV components in liver biopsies from chronically HBV-infected patients disclosed complex assembly and morphogenesis pathways for HBV. HBV core (HBcAg) and surface (HBsAg) antigens were specifically identified in all liver biopsies from HVB-infected patients. HBcAg containing core-like particles 24-28 nm in diameter were observed both in nucleus and cytoplasm of hepatocytes. Dane’s-like particles were detected either budding to or into the lumen of ER close to HBsAg containing tubular structures. Besides, Dane’s-like particles were detected in different vesicular compartments resembling multivesicular endosomes. Other kind of enveloped HBV-like particles similar to the previously described cobra-shaped and horn-shaped particles were also observed in hepatocytes. Some of these particles were connected to the vesicle membrane through a stalk 20-22 nm in diameter. On the other hand, spherical subviral particles (SVP) were frequently observed in cytoplasmic vesicles. Moreover, a minor proportion of enveloped HBV-like particles budding through the plasma membrane to the extracellular space and bile canaliculi were detected. Interestingly, Dane’s-like particles in the bile canaliculi and entering into ductular-like cells were shown. Strikingly, Dane’s-like particles close to tubular structures and specific immunolabeling for HBcAg both in cytoplasm and nuclei of stellate-like cells were detected. Remarkably, HVB-like particles appeared entering hepatocytes from large cytoplasmic processes of fibrocytes raising the interesting possibility of a cell to cell passage of HBV through direct transcellular migration.